Surgical Centre at Victoria Infirmary continues to take shape

The development of the Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre, at the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, is taking shape.

Work on the centre has achieved several milestones, including a new slate roof, timber windows and the façade refurbishment of the Verdin Ward and the completion of the structural frame and roof which now makes the new build watertight. 

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN), has also signed a contract with construction company, Kier, to complete the build.

Kier initially began work on the centre in January 2023 as the main contractor, under a short-term contract. This was while design work was undertaken and the main programme of works was finalised.

Now under the new contact, Kier will complete the build with the centre on track to open in spring 2025. The historic Verdin Ward, located on the same site, will also be fully refurbished as part of the development.

The centre will provide state-of-the-art clinical areas to support patient care. These include two theatres covering ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pain, ENT, dermatology, and general surgery. There will also be a recovery area and consulting rooms.

The Trust aims to treat a large number of ‘high volume low complexity’ patients from across the region who require less complex operations and procedures. This will help reduce waiting times for patients, with an immediate focus on those who have been waiting 52 weeks for treatment. The Trust also aims to reduce the overall backlog, and will treat around 12,000 patients each year.

The centre will become a cataract centre of excellence, providing eye care for the people across the region. This will mean there will be fewer people wating for eye surgery across the region, as well as greatly improving patient care, and reducing pressures on other parts of the system.

The Trust recently launched a recruitment drive to fill around 80 full and part time positions at the centre.

The facility is being built thanks to £18.2m of funding received from NHS England, via NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.

Gemma Lees-Morgan, general manager of the Victoria Infirmary, said:

“The development of the surgical centre is a key priority for the Trust, so having Kier on board to complete the work is fantastic news. The Victoria Infirmary is hugely important to our local communities, and the development of the surgical centre supports our ambition of bringing care and services closer to home.”

Sarah Morton, regional director at Kier Construction North & Scotland, said:

“This is a really important scheme for Northwich that will help the Trust reduce surgery waiting times for patients, and I’m so proud of the progress the team have made so far. We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise when it comes to creating healthcare facilities that are modern and sustainable for staff, patients, and their families. I look forward to our continued partnership with the Trust to drive improvements in patient care.”

Timelapse video showing how the development of the Cheshire & Merseyside Surgical Centre at the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich is taking shape.